Replacing Detention With Meditation

In West Baltimore, an elementary school has phased out detention in favor of time in the "Mindful Moment Room." Here, kids who have disrupted class or acted out are work with professionals from the Holistic Life Foundation to find peaceful methods to work off their energy and anxiety. The result? Coleman has seen zero suspensions in the year since launching the program, whereas the year before they had four. Holistic Life Foundation has been working on similar programs since 2002, and it was founded by local yoga teachers and mindfulness experts specifically to help kids living in the stressful urban environment. According to co-founder Andres Gonzalez, the practice of meditation helps kids deal with "overwhelming stimuli and trauma," improve their ability to manage their emotions, and make them healthier mentally and physically.